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Home , Alfred Molina, Avy Kaufman, Forty Shades of Blue, Ira Sachs, John Lithgow, Keep the Lights On

LOVE IS STRANGE

Ein Film von USA, 2014, 98 Minuten

Verleih: Xenix Filmdistribution GmbH Tel. 044 296 50 40 Fax 044 296 50 45 [email protected] http://www.xenixfilm.ch

Presse: Anna-Katharina Straumann [email protected] www.xenixfilm.ch

Start: 11. Dezember 2014 Bilder sind auf www.xenixfilm.ch erhältlich. SHORT SYNOPSIS

After finally getting married after 28 years together, Ben and George are forced to face bu- reaucracy and the challenges of being forced to live apart, as their tight-knit community of family and friends comes together to offer support.

LONG SYNOPSIS

After 28 years together, Ben and George take advantage of the new marriage laws and tie the knot in a garden wedding in the East Village. Returning from their honeymoon, however, and on account of their publicized vows, George gets fired from his longtime job as a choir director for a co-ed Catholic school. Suddenly, with no real savings to count on, the couple finds that they canʼt afford the mortgage on their small Chelsea apartment and they have to sell and move out. Only days after they have gathered to celebrate their nuptials, this tight- knit community of family and friends now has to come together again to figure out how to help Ben and George. DIRECTORʼS STATEMENT

Love is Strange is a multi-generational story that examines the different ways each of us experience love – and what we expect from it – at different points in our lives. The heart of the story is the long-term relationship of Ben and George ( and ), two men who have built a life together for over 30 years, who get married in the first scene – and lose their home in the second. What does love look like to those who have been together for a lifetime, and are now in their later years? For the characters of Ben and George, that love is given shape by loss, both material and personal, and how that loss can shine a bright light on all that these men had in their love for each other over so many years.

In the characters of Kate and Elliot, a married couple in their late 40s, played by Marisa Tomei and Darren Burrows, we see love in crisis, and how we often face ourselves in real and surprising ways in middle age. Their son is growing up, their stable lives interrupted by their uncleʼs unexpected presence; and everything that they knew to be fact seems much less certain.

And in their son, we find the nature of young love - of learning the realities of love through observing the relationships of others. “Joey” (played by an extraordinary young actor, Charlie Tahan) watches his parents, he watches Ben and George. They say you donʼt teach your children by what you say, but by what you do. In many ways, Love Is Strange is a coming-of- age story, as it tracks the growing awareness of a teenage boy as he becomes a man – and what he learns from all the different relationships around him.

Love Is Strange is about the ways we learn to live – how we are taught and who teaches us. How does the Church teach us about love; how does a piano teacher teach us about music: how does an artist help us see: how do movies teach us who we are, and what love, strange and beautiful, can look like?

Ben and George, a couple who after 28 years together, finally marry at a City Hall wedding in Manhattan. On return from their honeymoon, however, Ben gets fired from his job as a choir director for a Catholic high school. Unable to stay in their small apartment, the two are forced to move in, separately, with a nephew and his family in Brooklyn, and the two gay cops next door. A multi-generational story of love and marriage, LOVE IS STRANGE depicts the delica- te nature of any two people trying to build a long life together, and the possibility of love to grow deeper, and richer, with time.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

IRA SACHS

Sachsʼ last feature premiered at the 2012 , and was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay. He co-wrote LOVE IS STRANGE with Mauricio Zacharias (KEEP THE LIGHTS ON). A recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013, Sachsʼs previ- ous films include Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning , and MARRIED LIFE, with , Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, and .

Directorʼs Selected Filmography:

1993 LADY (SHORT)

1996 BOY-GIRL, BOY-GIRL

1996 THE DELTA

2002 UNDERGROUND ZERO (SEGMENT "UNTITLED")

2005 FORTY SHADES OF BLUE

2007 MARRIED LIFE

2010 LAST ADDRESS (DOCUMENTARY SHORT)

2012 KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

CAST BIOGRAPHY

JOHN LITHGOW ("Ben")

John Lithgow has appeared in over 30 films, and is a two-time Academy Award nominee, for his back-to-back performances in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP and . He has appeared on Broadway twenty times, winning two (out of six nominations) and has been nominated for eleven (winning five) for his work in television, most notably in NBCʼs and Showtimeʼs . Mr. Lithgow has written eight best-selling picture books, with his ninth, NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO, to be released by Simon & Schuster in October. Since 2008 Lithgow performs in a one man theatrical memoir entitled STORIES BY HEART after a successful appearance at New Yorkʼs Lincoln Center & Londonʼs National Theater.

ALFRED MOLINA ("George")

Alfred Molina has been seen in a wide variety of films, including , SPIDER MAN 2, , , COFFEE & CIGARETTES, , and , where for his performance as Diego Rivera he received nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the British Academy Award (BAFTA), the SAG Award, the Broadcast Film Critics prize and the Chicago Film Critics Association Award. He has received Tony Award Nominations for FIDLER ON THE ROOF, Yasmina Rezaʼs , and , for his towering performance as the artist . Recent films include EMANUEL AND THE TRUTH ABOUT FISHES, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and the upcoming Pixar film .

MARISA TOMEI ("Kate")

Marisa Tomei is an Academy Award winner (MY COUSIN VINNY), and a three-time Academy Award nominee (IN THE BEDROOM, THE WRESTLER). Born and raised in Brooklyn, Tomei is also an accomplished Broadway stage actress, whose credits include WAIT UNTIL DARK, SALOME, and TOP GIRLS. Upcoming films include WHY NOW?, dire ted by Adam Rapp and produced by LIS producers Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, as well as the upcoming Hugh Grant/Mark Lawrence romantic comedy.

DARREN BURROWS ("Elliot")

Darren Burrows is perhaps best known from the hit television series NORTHERN EXP SURE, where he played Ed Chigliak for six seasons. Darrenʼs versatility spans the big screen as well, where he has worked with some of the most prominent directors in the business, inclu- ding leading roles in Steven Spielbergʼs AMISTAD, Brian DePalmaʼs CASUALTIES OF WAR, John Watersʼ CRY-BABY, and Stephen Frearsʼ THE HI-LO COUNTRY. More recently, Dar- ren starred in Ira Sachsʼ FORTY SHADES OF BLUE and guest starred on the long-running series CSI. Off the set, Darren co-founded Wisconsinʼs Driftless Film Festival with an em- phasis on bringing movie-goers face-to-face interaction with independent filmmakers. DFF holds ist fourth annual festival this Fall.

CHEYENNE JACKSON ("Ted")

Cheyenne Jackson is a multi-talented actor, singer, and songwriter. On & Off Broadway, Jackson has starred in FINIANʼS RAINBOW (Drama Desk nomination), 8, and XANADU (Drama League, Drama Desk nominations). In concert, THE POWER OF TWO was hailed by as “groundbreaking”, and sold out Carnegie Hall. He recently appeared Steven Soderberghʼs BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, with and Matt Damon. He is currently working with SONY/ATV on an album of original music scheduled for 2013 release.

CHARLIE TAHAN (“Charlie”)

Charlie Tahan made his feature film debut with Will Smith in the blockbuster “I Am Legend.” Since then, Tahan has worked on numerous projects, playing Diane Laneʼs son in “Nights in Rodanthe” and co-starring alongside Natalie Portman in the drama “The Other Woman.” His starring performance as Zac Efronʼs younger brother in “Charlie St. Cloud” earned Tahan strong reviews and a Saturn Award nomination. He also is the voice of “Victor” in Tim Bur- ton's Academy Award-nominated film “Frankenweenie.” Recently, Tahan portrayed Jennifer Anistonʼs son in “Life of Crime,” which premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, and was also seen in Woody Allenʼs “Blue Jasmine." Among his television credits are a recurring role on the hit series “Law and Order: SVU” and guest-starring roles on the drama “Blue Bloods” and the FOX sci-fi series “.” He is currently filming a series regu- lar role on the upcoming FOX event series "Wayward Pines."

Manny Perez (“Roberto”)

Manny Perez began his career in New York when he co-wrote, produced, and starred in the critically acclaimed film "Washington Heights," which won various festival awards. He also starred in Sidney Lumetʼs "100 Centre Street" and numerous other television shows, inclu- ding "Third Watch" and "Rescue Me," and can now be seen in a recurring role on Showtimeʼs critically acclaimed "Homeland." Perez has starred in numerous independent features, inclu- ding "La Soga," which he also co-wrote and produced, and the recent "Ponchao," which won the Audience Award at last Octoberʼs LA Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). Perez can also be seen in the upcoming film "Crosstown," opposite Vivica A. Fox.

CREW BIOGRAPHY

IRA SACHS (Writer & Director)

Ira Sachsʼ latest film, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Director, has been called a “front runner for best American film of the year” (Village Voice), as well as “exquisitely, even thrillingly authentic” (A.O. Scott, New York Times). It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival. Sachsʼ previous work includes MARRIED LIFE (Toronto Film Festival 2007, New York FF 2007), THE DELTA (Toronto 1995, Sundance 1996), and the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning FORTY SHADES OF BLUE. He is the recipient of a 2013 Guggenheim fellowship for the development of LOVE IS STRANGE.

LARS KNUDSEN AND JAY VAN HOY (Producers)

Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy established Parts & Labor, a production dedicated to director-driven, collaborative filmmaking in 2004. Parts & Labor has since produced 20 films, including Mike Millsʼ BEGINNERS, for which won the 2012 AcaHdemy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also starring Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent, BEGINNERS was released worldwide in 2011 by Focus Features and Universal. Most recently, Parts & Labor premiered three films in Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival: David Loweryʼs film AINʼT THEM BODIES SAINTS, starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara and Ben Foster and to be distributed by IFC; photojournalist Shaul Schwarzʼs docu- mentary NARCO CULTURA, to be distributed by Cinedigm; and Andrew Dosunmuʼs second feature MOTHER OF JORGE, to be distributed by Oscilloscope. They previously produced both Sachsʼs KEEP THE LIGHTS ON. Upcoming projects include Adam Rappʼs RED LIGHT WINTER (adapted from his award-winning play), to be produced with Scott Rudin, and star- ring Olivia Wilde and James Badge Dale; Ben Fosterʼs directorial debut ANGELHEAD, star- ring Robin Wright, and Robert Edwardsʼ WHEN I LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN, starring Olivia Wilde and .

LUCAS JOAQUIN (Producer)

Lucas Joaquin produced KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, and the second unit shoot for the feature BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (dir. Benh Zeitlin), both of which premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. LIGHTS won the Teddy Award at the 2012 Berlinale and received nominations for four Independent Spirit Awards including Best Picture. BEASTS won the Grand Jury Prize for best narrative feature at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and went on to be nominated for four . Upcoming projects include Ron Eyal and Eleanor Burkeʼs BRIGHT AS DAY for which Joaquin received a Sundance Creative Producing Fellowship in 2012, and Zach Wigonʼs THE HEART MACHINE starring Kate Lyn Sheil.

JAYNE BARON SHERMAN(Producer)

Jayne Baron Sherman is a Tony award-winning producer () who is currently represented on Broadway with KINKY BOOTS (2013 Tony Winner – Best Musical). Other shows include the Tony award winning A RAISIN IN THE SUN, 33 VARIATIONS, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU, ELLING, THIS IS OUR YOUTH (Sydney) and CAROUSEL (West End). For nearly two decades she co-chaired the Emmy nominated IN THE LIFE television series on PBS that documented real LGBT people and issues. She is an associate producer of the television series DTLA.

MAURICIO ZACHARIAS (Writer)

Mauricio Zacharias was born in Rio de Janeiro, and earned an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California, where he received the Warner Brothersʼ Scholarship. He has collaborated with directors Walter Salles, Karim Ainouz, Andrucha Waddington and Paulo Machline. KEEP THE LIGHTS ON was his first collaboration with Sachs.

AVY KAUFMAN (Casting Director)

Avy Kaufman has worked with an array of talented directors such as , Steven Spiel- berg, Jim Sheridan, Ridley Scott, Robert Redford, Michael Mann, Norman Jewison, Jodie Foster, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Wong Kar Wai, and on such acclaimed films as LINCOLN, LIFE OF PI, THE ICE STORM, CAPOTE, and THE SIXTH SENSE, among others.

CHRISTOS VOUDOURIS (Cinematographer)

Christos Voudouris has shot feature films, short films, television documentaries, and hundreds of TV ad commercials in more than 40 countries around the world. Most recently, he was director of photography on BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013), the third film in Richard Linklaterʼs critically acclaimed romantic trilogy. Prior to MIDNIGHT, he photographed ALPS (2011), directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, which won numerous international film festival awards including Osella Award at the Venice Film Festival 2011; First Award in Sydney Film Festival 2012; Fipresci Award 2012; official selection at Toronto Film Festival, and other honors.

AMY WILLIAMS (Production Designer)

Amy Williams began her career in New York managing and curating galleries, including Phillis Lucas Print Gallery, Stephan Stux and Leo Koenig. In addition to KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, her film credits include LAST WEEKEND, starring Patricia Clarkson and Zachary Booth, WHITE IRISH DRINKERS, HOLY ROLLERS, SOMEDAY THIS PAIN WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU and GRAND STREET. She has served as production designer and set decorator for feature and short films, music videos, commercials, TV and print fashion. Williamsʼ proudest achievement is running the art department for the Festival of Light in Guyana.

CREDITS

Director/Co-writer/Producer: Ira Sachs

Producers: Lars Knudsen & Jay Van Hoy (Producers), Lucas Joaquin (Producer), Jayne Baron Sherman (Producer), Blythe Robertson (Executive Producer), Ali Betil (Executive Producer)

Co-writer: Mauricio Zacharias

Casting Director: Avy Kaufman

Director of Photography: Christos Voudouris

Production Designer: Amy Williams

Costume Designer: Arjun Bhasin

Editors: Affonso Gonçalves & Michael Taylor

CAST

John Lithgow Ben

Alfred Molina George

Marisa Tomei Kate

Charlie Tahan Charlie

Cheyenne Jackson Ted

Manny Perez Roberto

Darren Burrows Elliot